The seizure has added another dimension to the ongoing investigation into alleged sexual harassment and forcible land grab in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali. The agency will file a report on the raid to the Calcutta High Court and the matter is expected to be heard on May 2.

“The seized revolvers are sophisticated and foreign-made. Three foreign-made revolvers and one foreign-made pistol were found. One Colt Revolver, generally issued to police forces, was also seized, among other items. That such sophisticated weapons were found in a village near the Bangladesh border is, obviously, a cause for concern. We are trying to find out how those items were procured,” said a CBI source.

The source added that the three revolvers are US-made and these apart from the Colt revolver are impossible to buy legally for private persons in the country. Sleuths have not ruled out the possibility of an international racket behind the procurement of the guns.

During the raid, the CBI also seized 120 nine mm bullets, 50 .45 calibre cartridges, 120 nine mm calibre cartridges, 50 .380 cartridges and eight .32 cartridges.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the seizure was made from a house which belonged to a close associate of expelled TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is presently in CBI custody.

The agency has also informed that several documents purportedly belonging to Sheikh Shahjahan were also seized during the raid.

Meanwhile, the CBI on Thursday registered the first case related to land grab and sexual harassment allegations in Sandeshkhali.

On January 5, Enforcement Directorate officials were assaulted while they raided the home of then-TMC strongman and North 24 Parganas Zilla parishad member Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali.

While Shahjahan went on the run, women in Sandeshkhali started protesting and came out with allegations of sexual assault and land grabbing against a section of TMC leaders. Shahjahan was nabbed by the West Bengal Police on February 29.